The embodiments described herein relate to apparatus and methods for meal refrigeration and/or cooking and more specifically, to apparatus and methods for at least semi-autonomous storing, refrigerating, and cooking of meals via fluid immersion.
Sous-vide is a method of cooking that is intended to maintain the integrity of food by heating the food for an extended period of time at a relatively low temperature. In some instances, a machine can contain a volume of water and can transfer thermal energy to the volume of water to reach and/or maintain a desired temperature thereof. The food in sous-vide cooking methods is disposed in a vacuum tight package and/or bag, which can be inserted into the machine to submerge the food in the water. Prior to or directly after inserting the food, the water is heated to a temperature typically below the water's boiling point (e.g., around 63 degrees Celsius (° C.) or about 145 degrees Fahrenheit (° F.)). The thermal energy released by the hot water heats the submerged food until a temperature of the food and the temperature of the hot water are in a state of substantial thermal equilibrium. Thus, the food can be cooked to a desired temperature by controlling the temperature of the water in which the food is disposed.
Some known sous-vide cooking methods can involve a significant amount time in preparing the meal, which can, in some instances, present challenges for using sous-vide cooking methods on a daily basis. In an effort to mitigate these challenges, food can be prepared in advance and stored, for example, in a refrigerator. The food can then be placed in a sous-vide cooking device and cooked. Such methods, however, involve human intervention and can be time consuming.
Thus, a need exists for improved apparatus and methods for at least semi-autonomous storing and cooking of meals via fluid immersion.